#FOOD: TORONTO COCKTAIL FESTIVAL RUNS OCTOBER 22 TO 26, 2025

Tickets are now available for the start of the seminars and events at the first annual Toronto Cocktail Festival, taking place across the city from October 22 to 26, 2025. More seminars and events are scheduled to follow in the coming weeks. Watch https://www.thealchemistmagazine.ca/tcf/

Presented by The Alchemist magazine, the festival offers a week of immersive experiences that highlight both the artistry and innovation of cocktail culture. More than just a celebration of cocktails, it’s a destination event that aims to showcase Toronto’s award-winning bartenders, chefs, and brand ambassadors.

At the heart of the festival are its two signature gatherings. THE MAIN TCF EVENT: The Gala of Cocktails takes place on October 24 at Water Works. It will be a glamorous evening featuring more than two dozen cocktail stations, DJ, and a gourmet bar bite plate station, hosted by bartenders and brand ambassadors from the city and around the world.

Also headlining the week is the Neighbourhood Cocktail Crawl, a guided exploration of Toronto’s vibrant bar scene. Each cocktail crawl spans three neighbourhoods, with three featured bars per route. At every stop, guests will be welcomed by a brand ambassador, while bar teams serve a signature cocktail paired with a curated bite. It’s a fun, sip-and-stroll experience showcasing the city’s cocktail creativity, block by block.

The festival concludes on October 26 with the Closing Cocktail Brunch at Reign Restaurant & Bar in the Fairmont Royal York. This lively, gourmet 5-course finale brings imbibers together over inventive brunch cocktails and celebratory fare.

The seminar series introduces guests to some of the most engaging voices in the industry. In The World of Liquid Transformations, Massimo Zitti, the 2022 World Class Bartender of the Year and founder of Mother Cocktail Bar, will guide an in-depth exploration of fermentation and its role in sustainable cocktail programs. Meanwhile, Alex Black’s session, The New Wave of Baijiu, will explore the history and offer a rare opportunity to discover one of the world’s oldest spirits and its new place in modern cocktail culture. Both speakers will be available for media interviews.

Or, step behind the bar at Bar XXX for this Classic Martini Seminar, presented by Tanqueray and led by the one-of-a-kind H. Equal parts education and entertainment, this session takes the martini off its pedestal and explores its many personalities: crisp, dirty, dry, or just plain unexpected. Guests will taste three martinis, each paired with a playful amuse bouche, while H shares stories, techniques, and a few surprises along the way. Come ready to sip, snack, and see the martini in a whole new light.

Beyond the seminars, Toronto Cocktail Festival’s event program offers distinctive experiences that showcase Toronto’s dynamic cocktail scene. Step into No Vacancy for Understanding Umeshu– this multi-course experience spotlights the versatility of Choya Umeshu, from bright highballs to bold, spirit-forward cocktails, each paired with inventive Japanese bites. Expect flavour combinations that range from delicate and refreshing to rich, playful, and unexpected, showcasing why umeshu is more than a liqueur; it’s a canvas for creativity. A night of balance, surprise, and exploration, designed for those who love discovery in every sip and bite. Hosted by CHOYA Brand Representative, Shotaro Ozawa and GM and Beverage Director of No Vacancy, Troy Gilchrist.

The Toronto Cocktail Festival proudly supports the hospitality sector by donating a portion of its proceeds to Mind The Bar, a Canadian non-profit organization dedicated to mental health.

We recently attended a preview of what to expect:

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#FOOD: TORONTO COCKTAIL FESTIVAL 2025 TAKES PLACE OCTOBER 22-26, 2025

Raise your glasses! Toronto Cocktail Festival, presented by The Alchemist magazine, announces its inaugural citywide celebration taking place from October 22 to 26, 2025.

This highly anticipated event promises a spirited time filled with seminars, master classes, tasting events, cocktail-paired dinners, neighbourhood crawls, guest shifts, and spectacular parties. Featuring dozens of leading brands pouring their finest products, the festival spotlights your favourite local bartenders alongside top talent from across Canada and around the world.

“We are proud to support and promote Toronto’s incredible cocktail community and culture. The success of Toronto Cocktail Festival is made possible through the collaboration of everyone in the industry including bartenders, venues, brands, consumers, and the supporting media,” says Gail Nugent, publisher of The Alchemist magazine and event producer for TCF.

Don’t miss two signature events: the week’s main highlight, the Gala of Cocktails, taking place on October 24 at the Water Works event space. This glamorous night features hot tunes, bar bites, and more than two dozen cocktail stations hosted by local and international bartenders, including global brand ambassadors serving their most creative cocktail creations. The festival wraps up with the Cocktail Brunch on Sunday,
October 26, at the Fairmont Royal York.

Finally, no celebration of community would be complete without supporting those who work in it. Toronto Cocktail Festival is proud to announce that a portion of proceeds will be donated to charity partner, Mind The Bar, an organization dedicated to promoting mental health wellness across Canada.

Tickets for Toronto Cocktail Festival presented by The Alchemist magazine, October 22 to 26, 2025 ‘Signature Events’ go on sale August 1. Watch the space, sign up for the TCF newsletter or follow along on social for more events being added through the summer.

For tickets or to browse the Toronto Cocktail Festival 2025 program, visit thealchemistmagazine.ca/tcf.

About Toronto Cocktail Festival:
Presented by The Alchemist magazine, the first annual Toronto Cocktail Festival will be held October 22 to 26, 2025, at venues across Toronto. It will be a showcase of the city’s immense bartending talent, with events ranging from seminars and cocktail-paired dinners to the closing brunch at the Fairmont Royal York and the week’s main event, the Gala of Cocktails at Water Works. Toronto Cocktail Festival is also proud to support. Mind The Bar.

A preview:

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About The Alchemist magazine:
Published since 2015 by Glacier Media, The Alchemist is the first BC-based — and now national magazine devoted to the dynamic culture of craft cocktails and artisan distillers. Since fall 2023, The Alchemist has been published in Ontario, its content international in scope but local in focus, featuring stories about the trends, people, bars and brands that play their part in the timeless ritual of enjoying a cocktail. This
beautifully designed seasonal magazine is a smartly portable keepsake, and is supported online between issues.

To read The Alchemist magazine, pick up a copy at bars, restaurants, private liquor retailers, distillery tasting rooms, gourmet grocery stores and barware stores or visit us online at thealchemistmagazine.ca.

About Mind The Bar:
Mind The Bar is a volunteer-based non-profit organization that supports mental health wellness in the hospitality industry across Canada. Founded in 2018 by Vancouver’s Shoel Davidson, Mind The Bar provides resources and information on the major issues of depression, anxiety, addiction and workplace harassment. Its goal is ultimately to dismantle the stigma associated with mental health by changing the way we discuss, address and cope with it. mindthebar.com